Mix It Up Toolkit-October 29, 2013

For 10 years, the Southern Poverty Law Center has sponsored Mix It Up in schools across America.  Mix It Up is an excellent opportunity for students to learn the value of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion by meeting and talking to new people during lunch. To incorporate Mix It Up in your school, Teaching Tolerance offers many resources for educators to use to plan for a successful event.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mix It Up

Steps to implement Mix It Up

1. Create a planning group or go through a club or organization (SADD, SAVE , Peer Helpers , etc.) -my school's SADD chapter (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will plan and carry out the event.

See the Mix It Up Checklist

2. Determine your goals-have two main goals in mind:

• Get students to sit with someone new.
• Get students to engage in conversation.

3.  Make it festive- include a theme, decorations, colors, music, entertainment, prizes, or a flash mob.

Use colored table cloths

4. Publicize the event-publicize in the media, Teaching Tolerance facebook page, twitter,
you-tube, and posters.

Mix It Up downloads

Mix It Up High School Poster

Sample

MEDIA ADVISORY

[Date]                         

Contact: [Name]

[Phone]

[Email]                                                                                      

[SCHOOL NAME] to Break Down Social Boundaries

on National Mix It Up at Lunch Day

On [DATE], students at [SCHOOL NAME] will participate in the 11^th Annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day, a nationwide event designed to foster respect and understanding in schools.

Sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project, Mix It Up at Lunch Day encourages students to cross social and racial boundaries by sitting with someone new in the cafeteria for just one day. By taking this risk, students can break down the lines of division in a safe, controlled environment, meet new people and help build an inclusive and welcoming school community.

WHAT:          [SCHOOL NAME] to participate in 11^th Annual National Mix It Up at Lunch Day event

WHEN:          [DATE]

                        [TIME]

WHERE:        [STREET ADDRESS]

                        [CITY, STATE] 

5. Take pictures        
                                                

High School students participating in an activity!!

6. Evaluate-evaluate how your event went by having students complete a brief survey.

Some Activities from Teaching Tolerance Magazine:

Building a sentence
Lifesavers in the Lunchroom
Making a new friend
Mix It Up with a deck of cards

What do we have in common?                                    

Fact or Fiction
Romeo and Juliet Classroom Mix It Up Activity

Use questions in a cup

Feel free to share your activities in your school!!